System and method integrating an energy management system and yard planner system

Abstract

A method and system for identifying cargo-carrying vehicles (CCV) to be included in a vehicle system that are non-propulsion-generating vehicles scheduled to depart from a vehicle yard and travel to one or more destination locations at a predetermined departure time. Further includes, calculating a minimum tractive effort threshold required by one or more propulsion-generating vehicles (PGV) to propel the vehicle system to the one or more destination locations along a route within a predetermined time period. And selecting a set of one or more PGV from a larger group of PGV within the vehicle yard to be included in the vehicle system. The set of one or more PGV produce a tractive effort of at least the minimum tractive effort threshold, and having at least one of a lower fuel consumption or lower emissions than selecting one or more of the remaining PGV from the larger group of PGV, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A control system comprising:
 a yard planner system having one or more processors configured to create a yard plan for a vehicle yard, wherein the yard plan includes a vehicle connection plan for coupling a selection of one or more propulsion generating vehicles (PGV) with a selection of one or more cargo-carrying vehicles (CCV) forming a first vehicle system, and wherein the yard plan is created based on a movement plan and an optimized vehicle system configuration of the first vehicle system; 
 a schedule system having one or more processors configured to create the movement plan of the first vehicle system, wherein the movement plan includes a destination location and predetermined arrival time of the first vehicle system along a route; and 
 an energy management system having one or more processors configured to determine the optimized vehicle system configuration, wherein the optimized vehicle system configuration includes the selection of the one or more PGV from a vehicle inventory having a larger group of PGV based on the movement plan of the first vehicle system and a tractive effort of the selection of the one or more PGV. 
 
     
     
       2. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of the one or more PGV is further based on at least one of a fuel consumption or generating emissions such that the selected one or more PGV have a lower fuel consumption and/or generate less emissions than the remaining PGV in the vehicle inventory. 
     
     
       3. The control system of  claim 2 , wherein the selection of the one or more PGV is further based on a weight distribution of the first vehicle system. 
     
     
       4. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management system is configured to determine a minimum tractive effort threshold required to propel the first vehicle system along the route at or within the predetermined arrival time, and the tractive effort of the selected one or more PGV is at least or greater than the minimum tractive effort threshold. 
     
     
       5. The control system of  claim 4 , wherein the minimum tractive effort threshold is further based on the terrain of the route. 
     
     
       6. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle inventory includes PGV entering the vehicle yard within a predetermined future time period. 
     
     
       7. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle inventory is adjusted based on a number of available PGV from a remote vehicle yard along the route or a communication from the remote vehicle yard. 
     
     
       8. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the schedule system is further configured to assign a priority of the first vehicle system based on a statistical measure of adherence, wherein the statistical measure of adherence is determined from a position of the first vehicle system relative to a scheduled position of the first vehicle system determined by the movement plan. 
     
     
       9. The control system of  claim 8 , wherein the yard planner system is configured to adjust the yard plan based on the priority of the first vehicle system, such that the vehicle connection plan of the first vehicle system displaces a vehicle connection plan of a second vehicle system having a different priority, relatively. 
     
     
       10. The control system of  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle inventory is adjusted based on the priority of the first vehicle system. 
     
     
       11. The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the yard planner system is configured to generate one or more signals communicating the yard plan to an operator in the vehicle yard to direct coupling of the selection of the one or more PGV with the selection of the one or more CCV to form the first vehicle system.